Next Contestant
by KelciLynn
Summary: That was the Friday night that my whole world changed, the Friday that I first saw her. She had shoulder length blonde hair and was wearing a black leather miniskirt with a white shirt and jean jacket. She was working that night, serving drinks and being hit on, though she looked hardly legal to me. The tag on her jacket said that her name was Katie. She was perfect. R&R!
1. Love at First Sight

Next Contestant

Chapter One:

**A/N: I got this idea when I was listening to Next Contestant by Nickelback. I just had to write this!**

Johnny's POV:

The sports bar was loud and chaotic, exactly the place that I tended to avoid. The only reason I was there was because I'd been pressured by a few acquaintances from work into going with them one Friday night.

That was the Friday night that my whole world changed, the Friday that I first saw her. She had shoulder length blonde hair and was wearing a black leather miniskirt with a white shirt and jean jacket. She was working that night, serving drinks and being hit on, though she looked hardly legal to me. The tag on her jacket said that her name was Katie. She was perfect.

As my luck would have it, the first words out of my mouth were a stuttering apology after I immediately knocked over the drink she had just served me. She had flashed me a lovely smile and told me not to worry about it.

While my buddies from work all watched sports on the flat screens, I watched her. I was trying not to look like a creeper, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. I ordered too many drinks to count that night; mostly pouring them into the potted plant near the booth where I was sitting; trying to keep her near our table.

Being the loser I was, I couldn't work up the courage to ask her out, or even attempt to hit on her. As I drove home late that night, I realized that I would have to go back. I wouldn't be able to rest until she was mine.

For the next few weeks, I frequented that sports bar. Finally, after a lot of awkward attempts at flirting, I asked her out.

She had just served me a Vodka cranberry. "Wait," I said. As I stood up, my knee hit the table, nearly knocking the glass over.

She paused and looked at me, her head cocked to the side. "Yes?"

"Would you... Would you like to go out on a date with me?"

"Sure," she said. "I'm free Friday night."

"Sounds great," I said. "I'm Johnny, by the way."

"Katie," she replied, smiling as she wrote her address down on a napkin. After she walked away, I sat at the booth and stared at the napkin in my hand. Her handwriting was elegant and swirly, very girly. In the bottom corner, she'd drawn a little heart. I folded it carefully and put it in my wallet, where it's been ever since.


	2. First Date

Next Contestant

Chapter Two:

Johnny's POV:

In addition to my bike, I had a black Cadillac. I spent most of the day before my date cleaning it to perfection, inside and out. I was insanely nervous as I showered and got dressed. I drove around for fifteen minutes before going to pick her up.

She lived in a little brick house with a red convertible parked in front. She was standing on her porch, wearing a little tight red dress and high heels, her hair curled down around her shoulders. When she walked to car, I got out and opened the passenger side door for her. She smiled and got in, buckling her seat belt.

I walked around to my side and got in, backing out of her driveway. "You look great," I said, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye as I pulled onto the highway.

"Thanks." She smiled shyly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

I drove us to a favorite diner of mine and opened her door for her, hoping that luck would be on my side. We walked in and she followed me back to my favorite table in the back of the diner.

"So," I said as we sat down, "I haven't seen you around before...?" I trailed off, unsure of how to phrase what I was trying to say.

"I just moved into town a few weeks ago. I graduated from college, so I moved here and got a job to pay off loans and stuff." She picked up the little menu on the table. "What do you do?" she asked shyly.

"I work at a bank...as a teller." She looked up, seeming surprised, and raised an eyebrow. I rushed into an explanation. "My father the head of it and it's a good paying job."

The waitress, Cheryl; a woman in her mid-fifties who knew I frequented the place; walked up at that moment. "Good evening," she said. "I'm Cheryl and I'll be your waitress. The usual for you, 13?"

I winced slightly at my nickname, but nodded and handed her my menu. She looked at Katie, "And for you, darlin'?"

"A burger and fries," she said, shutting her menu. "With a cherry coke, please?"

"I'll get right on that," Cheryl said, winking at me as she walked away.

Once she'd gone back behind the counter, Katie looked at me. "What was that all about, _13_?"

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck, "It's sorta my nickname; Johnny 13. I have a reputation for being a bit unlucky." _That_, of course, was an understatement. Anyone in this town knew that I was dreadfully unlucky. I quickly changed the subject, "What about you? Any nicknames I should know about?"

"Nope," she shrugged. "Just Katie."

"I just might have to change that," I told her.

"I'd be okay with that."

Our food arrived at the table quickly, as it usually did. By the time it did, I was already hooked. Katie was the girl of my dreams.

"What do you do for fun?" she asked, sipping on her soda.

"I have a motorcycle that I like to ride," I said casually.

Her eyes lit up, "I love motorcycles. My dad had one when I was younger and I loved riding on it with him."

"Really? What kind?" I asked.

"A Indian. It was red. What kind do you have?"

"A Harley-Davidson. It's black with my number on it." I flashed her a smile. "Hope your not superstitious."

She giggled, much to my relief. "Nope. I'm not."

"Good."

After dinner, I drove her back to her house. I pulled into her driveway and opened her door for her once again. I walked her to the door. "This was fun," I said, feeling awkward and nervous once again.

"It was," she agreed. "We'll have to do it again."

"Absolutely."

We stood there in awkward silence for a minute, then Katie leaned over and kissed my cheek gently. "We'll have to do this again _soon_."

"Thursday?"

"Perfect. I'll see you then."


	3. Falling Hard

Next Contestant

Chapter Three:

Johnny's POV:

Katie and I continued dating and I finally felt like luck was on my side. After a month of being together, I took her out for a special date.

I picked her up around six and took her to a fancy restaurant outside of town. She was wearing a navy blue dress with a red belt and had her hair in a curly ponytail. Her lips were bright, bright red.

After dinner, we went for a walk in a little pocket park. I held her hand and stopped her, tilting her chin upward. "Katie," I began, "we've been dating for a month now." I paused and pulled out the promise ring I'd picked out the week before, with a green gem that matched her eyes. "What do you say about being my girl?"

"You want to go steady?" she whispered.

I nodded, holding my breath. I was unprepared when she threw her arms around my neck and kissed my lips. "Yes," she answered once she pulled back.

I slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her again, pulling her body close to mine.

It was two weeks after that when I decided that it was time for her to meet my father. I warned her that I'd be on the Harley when I came to pick her up so that she'd know to dress appropriately.

When I pulled up, she was standing on her sidewalk, her arms crossed over her chest. "Johnny, why can't we take the Camaro?" she asked, her voice nearing the whine I'd started to grow accustomed to.

"Because I like the bike."

"My hair is going to be all messed up," she pouted, jutting out a hip.

I sighed; I'd known that this was coming. "C'mon, Kitten," I said, flashing her a smile. "For me?"

She sighed, but the pout broke into a small smile. "Fine." She climbed on behind me and wrapped her arms around me, a bit tighter than she needed to, and rested her cheek against my shoulder.

We pulled up to my father's house about half an hour later. My mother had died when I was baby, so it had always been just the two of us. He was a great father, trying to compensate for the fact that his own father had never been around. He was a tall man with grayish white hair that he kept in a low ponytail. He hardly ever wore anything other than button down dress shirts and slacks, which was exactly what he was wearing when we pulled up.

His house was a two story brick house with a large, wrap-around porch. Proof that his years of hard work had paid off. We'd lived in slummy neighborhoods until I was eight. That was the year he'd gotten promoted to head of the bank. We'd lived in this house ever since.

I got off the bike and helped Katie off, holding her hand as I walked her up the porch. "Hi, Dad," I said. "This is Katie. Katie, this is my father, Charles."

"Nice to meet you," he said, shaking her hand.

"Same to you."

We walked inside, where I hung our coats on the rack beside the door. "Johnathon, why don't you show her around while I check on dinner?"

"Alright."

I took her hand and led her up the staircase. The second door to the left was my room when I lived her. I walked her to the door and pushed it open.

"This was my room," I said as I turned on the light.

Posters of motorcycles covered every wall except for one. The one with the bookshelf full of trophies for various sports and academics. "Baseball, basketball," Katie read the labels on the trophies. "Ooh, here's a good one, Perfect Attendance. Quite the little overachiever, weren't you?"

I grinned, "Just a bit." I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to me, kissing her.

She kissed me back, biting my bottom lip gently before she pulled away. She walked over and sat on the edge of my bed, picking up the framed picture I had on my nightstand. "Is this your mom?" she asked quietly.

I walked over and sat beside her, "Yeah." The picture was of my mom holding me in the hospital the day I was born, two weeks before she had been killed in a car accident.

"She's beautiful," Katie breathed.

I had to agree. My mother had long, auburn hair that fell in waves and a breathtaking smile. Katie wrapped her arm around my waist and leaned her head on my shoulder, kissing my cheek. "Let's go check on your father."

I stood up and followed her back downstairs to the kitchen. Dad was standing at the oven, pulling out a roast. "Mmm," Katie said. "Smells great."

My dad flashed her a smile, "Thank you. It's nothing compared to what Johnny's mother used to make, but I do my best."

I grabbed a stack of plates and began to set the table. As we were all seated, Dad attempted to make conversation. "So, Katie, Johnny tells me that you graduated from college recently. What did you major in?"

"Fine arts. With a minor in Literature."

Dad nodded and winked at me discreetly, showing me that he approved. After dinner, Katie offered to help do dishes with me in the kitchen. "I really like your dad," she said, scrubbing a plate before handing it to me.

"Really?"

She nodded and I stacked the plate on the rack to dry. She didn't know at the time that she was the first girl I'd ever brought home to meet my father. My life had been a string of bad luck, over and over again, up until I met her.


	4. Downhill

Next Contestant

Chapter Four:

Johnny's POV:

The weeks went by and I fell harder and harder for her. She was the most perfect girl I had ever met and she was mine. I loved her. And I realized that one rainy afternoon as I drove her home. I pulled into her driveway and she leaned over to kiss me, just as she always did.

I kissed her back, pulling away for just a moment. "I love you, Kitty," I breathed.

Her eyes widened and, for a moment, I thought she was startled. "I love you, too." And then she was kissing me again, her hands clutching at my jacket.

She pulled away and reached for the handle. "Wait," I whispered, pulling her back over to me.

I kissed her neck hungrily and she giggled, "Johnny, I have to go get ready for work."

"We have some time," I said, pulling her across the seat and into my lap.

"I really have to go." She crawled back over to her side of the car and went to open her door, then paused. "I have an idea."

"Go on."

"Why don't you just come to work with me? You can hang out. My shift is only a few hours tonight."

"I don't know... I don't want to get you in trouble."

"You won't! Come on, it'll be fun."

I sighed, "Fine."

I followed her into her house and waited in her living room while she got ready for work. I was sitting on her white sofa, throwing a pillow up and catching it, when she walked out of her room.

My eyes felt like they popped out of my head. "You're wearing that to work?"

She looked at me, then down at herself. "Well, yeah. What's wrong with it?"

I stared at her. She was wearing tight, dark jeans and high heeled black boots that reached her knees. Her white tank-top might as well have been see-through for all that it was covering. "It's..."

"Showy?" I nodded slowly. "Johnny, it has to be showy. It's part of the job."

I crossed my arms, "Then I'm glad I'm coming with you," I grumbled.

Kitty grabbed my arms and uncrossed them, pressing herself against me. "Don't be a grump. We have to go."

When we arrived at the sports bar, Kitty kissed my cheek as I went to sit down. I really hated the damn place. It was too loud, with too many obnoxious people. I rolled my eyes as I watched the football game on the screen above the bar.

Kitty walked up and sat down a drink in front of me, kissing my temple. "It's on me," she whispered, stepping away quickly to go tend another table.

I watched as she walked up to the table, her pen poised over her notepad. There was a group of noisy men at the table. I could tell from where I was getting that Kitty was becoming flustered, which was unusual for her. I sat up a little straighter and watched the faces of the men in the booth. I was close to seeing red.

One of the men said something and Kitty stepped back, a fake smile plastered on her face. She turned and started to walk away, when one of them reached out and slapped her ass.

I was across the room in an instant, grabbing her and pushing her behind me. "Hey," the guy said, standing up. At his full height, he was a few inches shorter than me. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah," I snarled. "There is. You keep your hands off my girl, ya dig? Now take your sorry ass out of here."

He turned tail and left, his friends following behind him. Kitty squeezed my shoulder and kissed my neck before walking back behind the counter.

I waited out the rest of the evening, sitting at the booth, reading a sports magazine that was left on the table. I couldn't force myself to look up as she waited tables all around me. I kept my eyes down.

And that seemed to cause the chair reaction that started up my bad luck all over again.


End file.
